A Joyful Reunion
by Dena1
Summary: A court martial, a split up and a daughter later.


1 Title: A joyful reunion  
  
Author: Dena  
  
E-mail: natalieverrydt@hotmail.com  
  
Status: Finished  
  
Category: Sam/Jack romance, angst  
  
Spoilers: episodes containing Thor and the replicators  
  
Sequel/Season info: after season 4  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Content warnings: none  
  
Summary: 4 years, a break-up and a daughter later, SG1 is reunited  
  
Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.  
  
Author's notes: I would like to thank Horus for beta-reading my story.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
A joyful reunion  
  
'Samantha Carter'  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, please fasten your seatbelts, extinguish all cigarettes and put away safely all electrical equipment. We will arrive at the Washington Airport in approximately 6 hours. We will fly at 50000 feet and the temperature is below 40 degrees. In Washington the ground temperature is 25° C and the sun is shining. I wish you all a pleasant flight!"  
  
I hadn't heard a word of what the man had said and now that I consider it I heard it a dozen times before and they always say the same things, so I stopped listening to them. I was far more occupied with my daughter Kayla. She had only become 3 years old last week and this was her first flight, so she was really hyperactive.  
  
"Kayla please behave! There are other people in here as well and I won't have them say that 'you' are the pain-in-the-ass that is disturbing their flight! Now sit down and stay seated!"  
  
"Yes mum, I will behave, ..., can I sit by the window mummy? I really would like to sit by the window so I can see the clouds! Please!"  
  
With only three years she was already a smart, spoiled little brat. What do you want when an entire base lets her do everything she wants. I once caught her eating an entire pack of brownies by herself. It seemed that the secretary at the desk had saved them especially for her. So those are the times you wonder why parents are needed, in this case why mums are needed. Guess they just have to stick around to clean up the mess they leave behind when things go wrong.  
  
"Mum?"  
  
"Mmm, ..., oh I'm sorry honey, what did you say?"  
  
"Can I sit by the window?"  
  
"Well honey maybe you haven't noticed but there is already sitting somebody next to the window."  
  
On this comment she just turned around to stare at the relatively young man beside her. After a few seconds she just bluntly asked the stranger if he wanted to change places with her. I could feel a deep red color rise to my face.  
  
"I'm so sorry sir, she shouldn't have 'asked' that. I'm really sorry she disturbed you."  
  
Directing myself to Kayla I gave her a look that she knew very well, a look that I needed to use more often than I wanted. Understanding the message she lowered herself back in her seat.  
  
"You don't need to apologize Misses..."  
  
"Carter, Samantha Carter and it's Miss"  
  
"Sorry, 'Miss' Carter. It's ok for her to sit here. As a kid I too always begged to sit by the window to check out the clouds. So if it's ok with you I'm willing to change seats with the two of you. I consider you want to stay with her?" Looking at the pleading face of my little girl and not in a state of mind to argue I gave in.  
  
"Ok we'll change seats, but only for this once."  
  
"Thanks Sir, that is really nice of you", Kayla exclaimed. She jumped of her seat and pulled me with her. After a few minutes we were all set for take-off. When the plane started to move she let out a few cries of pleasure. She stared out the window and didn't pay attention anymore to me, or to anyone else. It was just Kayla and the clouds.  
  
"Thank you sir, it was really nice what you just did."  
  
"Drop the sir, just call me John. And don't thank me, she just reminded me of myself when I was a little kid. For all it's worth, she is a nice kiddo. You did a good job bringing her up Miss Carter."  
  
"Thanks and please drop the Miss, just call me Carter or Sam if you want to, everybody else does it."  
  
"Ok 'Sam'!"  
  
It felt good talking to someone, especially after the events of the past 12 hours that messed up my life 'once again'. Events I just didn't want to think about, at least not now, not until we arrived at that airport.  
  
"I couldn't help but notice but the two of you aren't British, are you?"  
  
"No, we're American. Kayla is born in England though. It's been our home for four years now."  
  
"If you don't mind me asking but what brought you to England in the first place?"  
  
"A transfer. I used to work at a facility in America but then I stumbled on some difficulties and when I got the chance to transfer to England I took it with both hands."  
  
"I see. What is it that you do then? You're a diplomat or something?"  
  
"No definitely not, I'm an astrophysicist"  
  
"Woo, a lablady then?"  
  
"In England yes, in America I also did fieldwork."  
  
"An astrophysicist who does fieldwork, no offence but it seems a little odd to me."  
  
"Well I wasn't you're average astrophysicist. I worked in the military back then. Gave that up when I moved to England."  
  
"The military, 'you' worked in the military?"  
  
"Well yeah, you've got a problem with that?"  
  
"No of course not, it just doesn't make any sense. I mean, what would the military want with an astrophysicist?"  
  
"Well I can't really tell you that, because it's all kind of classified, you see."  
  
"I see... so you just worked in a lab, or did you go to fight out other countries wars?"  
  
"I spend a lot of my time in my lab, but I belonged to a team that was called whenever the government needed to get some international treats out of the way."  
  
"So you weren't the average soldier either."  
  
"Not quite no."  
  
"So did you have a rank then or where you just a civilian that had to tag along with al those military boys?"  
  
"I'm a Major in the USAF, and I certainly didn't have to tag along with my fellow team members, thank you. I could take care of myself very well."  
  
"A Major, isn't that quite high in the military hierarchy?"  
  
"Well, in generally speaking not really, but at the base I had a lot more power than an average major. When the General and my Colonel weren't present I was in charge of the entire facility."  
  
"Well, don't get me wrong, but I'm starting to get the feeling that you aren't an average woman, are you."  
  
"Well ever since I left that all behind I think I did become your average woman."  
  
"It's not really my business, but whenever you mention the place you look kinda sad."  
  
"I know, when I left, I left in kind of a hurry and I let a lot of things unsaid and undone. I guess I just regret that now. You know, I really shouldn't be bothering you with all of this."  
  
"It's ok, it actually feels good to talk to someone in order to forget my own problems for a while." A nice silence fell and when I glanced at my watch, I saw that already an hour had past.  
  
"Mum, I'm hungry!"  
  
"Oh, you 'are'. Anything special in mind honey?"  
  
"I want one of those cookies Annie made us before we left."  
  
I took our bag out of the locker and past a homemade cookie to my daughter.  
  
"Keep things clean." She slowly started to nibble on her biscuit, but I could sense there was something she wanted to tell or ask me.  
  
"Mummy?" Ok here it comes, she's probably going to ask one of her philosophic questions I usually can't answer. 'How did she become so smart anyway?'  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"When are we going to meet my dad?" At the word dad, I almost choked. It took me a few times before I was able to answer her question.  
  
"Well, you see... I don't really know where he is or if he..." Every time she had asked me about her dad, I had told her the same story that he couldn't come with me to England because the military needed him very much and she had taken it. But now that we were going back to America she assumed that she was going to meet him. And she's probably right, only I haven't really figured out how I'm going to tell him that he has a 3-year- old-daughter.  
  
"What is he like, my dad I mean?"  
  
"Well he's a very nice man, a little older than me with grey hair and brown eyes. I told you that before didn't I."  
  
"Yes you did."  
  
She turned herself back to the window and resumed her former activity, staring at the clouds. When I sat myself back in my chair I noticed that John was staring at me. When I looked in his direction I could sense that he wanted to ask me a whole lot more questions then I was willing to answer.  
  
"So... she's going to meet her dad for the first time. Pretty exiting."  
  
"Yeah!" I let my face fall on my chest and then threw it back while breathing deeply.  
  
"Not so exiting for Mum I see."  
  
"There's an understatement, considering the way I left."  
  
"Messy break-up?"  
  
"Yes and no."  
  
"Willing to tell me what happened?" I looked bewildered at him when he asked me his question.  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that, that's between you and Kayla's father."  
  
"I guess it's ok, it's about time I come to terms with it, considering the fact that I'm going to stand in front of his nose in less then 4 hours."  
  
"Please forgive me my curiosity, I just have this urge of wanting to know everything about other peoples lives."  
  
"Well you really want to hear this?"  
  
"If you're willing to tell, yes. Though I shall respect it if you want to keep it to yourself."  
  
"Well, here goes... It all started when I walked into the Generals office about 8 years ago. From the moment I saw him I knew that things would work out for us. But it seemed that he was my Commanding Officer, so it was kind of against the regs to see each other. For three years we held back our longings, until we were, trough a certain situation, forced to confess our feelings towards each other. After that we couldn't act like nothing happened. Afterall we did declare our undying love towards each other. So we started to see each other in our downtime. What we had was so special, it was everything I ever dreamed of, only ... it was against the regs. Our teammates and my best friend and doctor to us both, knew that we were together. They didn't mind and even encouraged us in it. But then Colonel Mayborn somehow found out and we had to appear in front of a court martial. God, that was probably the worst time of my life. When we tried to convince them that we really loved each other they didn't even listen to us. They were only interested in splitting us up. Eventually, thanks to the powerful positions of both the General and my father, we got of the hook, with a slight punishment though. We weren't able to work with each other anymore, but they allowed us to pursue a relationship. I got reassigned to an other team, but those people really hated me, so my life became one big mess. That effected not only my work but also our relationship. And then that beautiful offer came. Working on a prestigious project in the UK. I don't know why I took it, but somewhere down the road I did. So I ended up in the UK where I found out, only a week after my arrival that I was pregnant. I wanted to go back to America, back to my former life, give Jack what he wanted most, a second chance in having a child, but I couldn't. The longer I stayed in the UK the less I wanted to go back. I had a good life there, until this morning when I got a phonecall from the General telling me that my old team needed me to pull of a dangerous mission. So here I am on a plane to my homecountry, not having the 'slightest idea' what I'm going to do when I arrive there."  
  
"Wow, I didn't know the military could be that cruel to people?"  
  
"Well they can, but we both knew that a court martial was a very big threat in our relationship."  
  
"What's the dangerous assignment they need you for?"  
  
"I'm sorry, like I told you before, that's 'very very' classified and even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me so I better shut up."  
  
During my little monologue the airhostesses had started to hand out lunch and now they were reaching our seats.  
  
"Sir, Ma'am, may we offer you something to eat or to drink?"  
  
With a slight headnod we agreed in having a meal. I called for Kayla to sit up straight and not to spill too much of her meal. When the airhostess bent over to hand us our meals, I suddenly sensed something I hoped I would never ever have to sense again. I could feel my limbs go stiff as a reaction and my brain was already denying what I sensed, until I sensed it again. This time a lot stronger then the first time. I sensed the presence of a Goa'uld. At first I panicked but then I found my military confidence back and looked at the woman like she was some insect that had to be removed in an instant.  
  
The airhostess quietly moved on to the next row of seats. I glanced over at Kayla and saw she had sensed it too, a little present from Jolinar. Together with a good eyesight and an excellent hearing, my little girl obviously inherited the capability of sensing Goa'uld presence.  
  
"Did you feel it too honey?"  
  
"I had a strange feeling ... what is that woman, mum?"  
  
"Well ... I shouldn't worry honey, she's just an airhostess." With my daughters confirmation I started to make up a plan in my head.  
  
After some more small talk to John, the Goa'uld airhostess approached me, asking me to accompany her to a more quiet place. Apparently there was a problem with my tickets. If I wanted to get her this would probably be my only chance. So I was more then eagerly to go with her.  
  
"John, can you look after Kayla for a second?"  
  
"Sure, no problem!"  
  
"Mum, where are you going?"  
  
"I'm just have to take care of something. I'll be back in no time. Be good to John." I slightly bend over to John so that I could whisper into his ear.  
  
"John, look after my daughter. Don't let her go anywhere, not even with an airhostess. They are not what they seem to be. I'm going to do something that looks bad but I promise you it's for your own good. Stay low and make sure nobody interferes, OK?"  
  
"Sure, whatever you say ma'am." He gave me a slight disturbed look but that was one of my least worries right now.  
  
I gave him a reassuring smile when I heard a zat-gun being loaded behind my back. I swiftly turned on my heels and hit the zat out of her hands. To her big surprise I gave her a quick but hard blow in the face. She lost her balance and fell over the seats and the persons in those seats. People were now looking at me like 'I' was the bad guy. But did they know what was going on here. I grabbed the zat-gun from the floor and pointed it directly at her.  
  
"Well, well, long time no see! I could swear that I 'almost' missed you guys, but how could I forget, you never give up, do you!" 'Boy I spend way too much time around a certain person.'  
  
Her eyes now started to glow and that was in my advantage, because a fellow airhostess was about to call security. 'Get a Goa'uld pissed off and you get them to reveal their trough selves. A great trick that in 90% of the case worked. 'The entire plain had now become a place of terror. People were screaming and shouting at each other. This was once more in my advantage because I could cover up a zat-blast. I quietly zatted her. When she was lying in the hallway I tied her up with my belt. Still sitting on top of her I heard trough all the noise some very familiar footsteps. When I turned around I almost fell over from surprise. Standing in front of me was Colonel Jack O'Neill and in his direct footsteps were Teal'c and Daniel. We both stared at each other, not sure whether the other was real or just a damn good copy. Neither spoke a word, not daring to break the silence.  
  
"See you've got everything under control Major Carter!"  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Yep last time I checked the mirror that was me, the question is, is it really you?"  
  
"Yes, of course it's me!" I crumbled to my feet using his offered hand as support. Finally standing I could look him right in the eye. I could read confusion, happiness, remorse and many other mixed feelings in them. Then we both hugged each other with the same longing we had the first time we had hugged about 5 years ago.  
  
"God Sam, I missed you so much!" he whispered.  
  
"I missed you too Jack!"  
  
When we disentangled I was immediately pulled into another hug, only this time it wasn't Jack but Daniel who hugged me.  
  
"Hi Sam! You don't know what it feels like to see you again."  
  
"Oh I think I do Daniel, I think I do!"  
  
When I spotted Teal'c he gave me slight nod and a warm welcome-home-smile. Then it just downed on me that we were still in mid-air and that no one can just appear aboard a plane.  
  
"Guys, how did you get up here, you didn't fly to England, to take this flight back did you?"  
  
"Nope, we just happen to have one of our best friends in orbit right now."  
  
"Thor's here?" I exclaimed a little harder then I intended.  
  
"Yep and he offered to drop us off, give us some time to capture our 'pray' and pick us up again. But how did 'you' end up on this plain, last time I checked you were living in the UK?"  
  
"Jack, I don't mean to interrupt you, but our 'cab' is about to arrive."  
  
"Thanks Daniel ... care to join us Major? Or do you wish to stay on this plain for a few more hours?"  
  
"I'll be glad to join you guys, but I have to collect a few things first, give me a minute."  
  
Still in a higher state of mind I walked back to my seat, to find Kayla on John's lap. He looked at me with disbelief. Nobody on the plane actually realized what had happened a few seconds ago.  
  
"Sam, what was that?"  
  
"Nothing to worry about John, just a terrorist who thought she could make this plane hers on her own. We just made sure she didn't pull the trick."  
  
"How did you know that she, unless..."  
  
"I was just doing my job, John, I was just doing my beloved job."  
  
"So everything that you told me in the last 5 hours have been a lie?"  
  
"No John, I wish it was, but it isn't. Everything I've told you has been the truth and nothing but the truth. I swear!"  
  
From behind me I heard Jack telling me to hurry up. I picked up my bag and hung it over my shoulder so that I would have my hands free for Kayla."  
  
"Come on Kayla, we have to go."  
  
"Where to mummy, I thought a plane has to land first before you can get off?"  
  
"I know honey, but we have another plane to catch." I gave Jack a quick glance telling him that I would be there in a second.  
  
"It's him isn't it? The one with the grey hair and the brown eyes?"  
  
"Yes John, that's him, that's my one and only love. Well I really have to go now. It was a pleasure meeting you John."  
  
"It was a pleasure to meeting you too Samantha and Kayla Carter." With Kayla on my arm I turned around and walked back to the others, just in time to be beamed up by our dear friend, Thor.  
  
When we arrived on Thor's vessel, we all stared at each other 'once again'.  
  
"What was that Mummy?" My gaze still locked on Jacks I didn't hear my daughter at first. When the question finally reached my mind I answered it reluctantly. She was probably going to ask me a dozen questions about it and I wouldn't have the answer and she would be angry with me for not having it.  
  
"Well that was what we call a particle transportation, honey. The human body consists mostly of molecules and atoms right?" She slightly nodded her little head and then urged me to continue.  
  
"Well this devise breaks up the body in those particles and then transports them, with the speed of light, to another place. You understand?"  
  
"I do, but why..." 'I knew this would happen.'  
  
"Honey, not now."  
  
All this time the others had just stood there listening to my explanation and mostly gazing at my daughter, especially Jack.  
  
"Oh for cryin' out loud, Carter, you don't really belief she understood that, I mean how old is she 3…4?"  
  
"Actually she became 3 last week."  
  
"3! ... Who is she anyway?"  
  
"Yeah, aren't you going to introduce us Sam?" It's seems that Daniel still is the one who has to smooth things when they get a little awkward. "Well guys this is Kayla, my daughter."  
  
They all muttered something that looked like a greeting as they directed themselves to look at her. But one particular face never left mine, I think he figured it out on his own by now that she is his. Kayla is three and I left him a little less then four years ago. With this silence getting to awkward I decided to move along with the introductions.  
  
"Kayla, I want you to meet, your Uncle Daniel..."  
  
"Hi Uncle Daniel" she exclaimed happily.  
  
"Your Uncle Teal'c..."  
  
"Hi Uncle Teal'c ... what is that mark on your for head Uncle Teal'c?"  
  
"It is a Jaffa-mark Kayla."  
  
"Oh!" She pulled a face that indicated that there was a big question mark above her head.  
  
"And last but not least..." Suddenly I breathed heavily and Kayla felt it because she looked at me with an even more questioning face. Suddenly she gave me a glare of understanding, she had it figured out as well, this was not an uncle but 'her dad'. Then she just gazed at him, taking every inch of his face into her mind, but 'I' still needed to say those words, more for myself than for the others.  
  
"Honey, I want you to meet your father, Jack O'Neill."  
  
"Hello, father" It was only a whisper, but still everyone present in the room had heard her say it.  
  
Jack didn't say anything. The only thing he did was stare at Kayla and me, like he saw two ghosts.  
  
"Teal'c ah ... I ah ... I think it's best that we ah ... if you get my point here."  
  
"I do Daniel Jackson and I believe that you are right." When Daniel and Teal'c left, I put down the heavy weight on my arm, never taking my eyes of Jack. Kayla, who was great with strangers, just walked up to him and gave him a hug. Or at least she gave his legs a hug. Jack disentangled our gaze and now looked at the little girl hugging his legs. A million thoughts, from anxiety till anger and confusion, were crossing my mind. 'What if he doesn't want to accept her as his daughter.' But then he just gave her one of his special smiles, bent down and gave her a big hug. Kayla softly laught on a small remark he gave her and then she asked him a question I was so afraid of asking all these years.  
  
"Daddy, do you love my mummy?"  
  
I could see the surprise on his face when he looked at me. I stood there in shock as well. Jack picked Kayla up and then faced me.  
  
"Yes Kayla, I love your mum. I always have and I always will." I swear I could see tears in his eyes when he said those sweet words. He slowly strode over and pulled me once more in a hug. I could feel my own tears make their way down my cheeks as I held him. For the first time in four years we were a real family, a mum, a dad and a sweet daughter.  
  
"I love you Jack and I'm so sorry for this." He slowly let go of me and when he faced me I could only read on emotion in his eyes: happiness.  
  
"Don't be sorry, I'm glad you told me now and that you never told her I was dead or something."  
  
"Jack, you know that I would never do that. I told her that you just couldn't come to the UK with me and partially that 'was' the truth." He gave me a slight smile of gratitude.  
  
"God I missed you Samantha!"  
  
"I missed you too and so did Kayla. Though she never met you, she still missed you in a way. At school she would bribe about her father who was a Colonel in the USAF."  
  
"Speaking of her, how did she became so smart anyway?"  
  
"She grew up at the facility, surrounded by scientists who all loved her like their own. They didn't mind answering her million questions. It appeared she was a quick study."  
  
"Well I guess she isn't going to ask a million questions now because I'm getting the idea that someone fell asleep on my shoulder."  
  
When I looked over at Kayla I could see a big smile on the mouth of my sleeping daughter.  
  
"Well how about we join the others, go back to the SGC and give my daughter a real bed?"  
  
'God did he just say 'my daughter'. Does that mean that he accepted her?'  
  
"That sounds great. Actually I could use a bed for myself too."  
  
He put his free arm around my shoulder and guided me through the ship to Thor's main quarter.  
  
Halfway down the corridor he suddenly stopped and turned himself around to face me. I startled at his action and looked at him with a surprised face. 'Was he changing his mind on accepting Kayla as his daughter?'  
  
"I love what you did to you hair Carter ... longer then I'm used to, but nice none the less. You actually look like your alternate reality version now."  
  
"Thanks, I guess. I just felt the need to change the hair plus there weren't any good hairdressers in the UK so I decided to let it grow, just out of curiosity to see what I would look like."  
  
He placed his hand back on my shoulder, pulled me in a tight hug and kissed me gently on the lips. Then we continued our walk down the corridor, both with a content smile on our faces.  
  
  
  
"Hey guys ... how about we go home and get these two in bed?"  
  
Not knowing what to aspect, Daniel, Teal'c and Thor looked at us with a little fear. When they saw we were both smiling they relaxed.  
  
"Sounds great Jack. Thor?"  
  
"It can be arranged, before I send you back I want to say that it was a pleasure to be of service to you Tauri people."  
  
"No the pleasure was all ours Thor, thank you once more for doing this. I know it's been hard to make the time to visit us, you being in a war against the replicators and all."  
  
"I will be watching your progress in your war against the Goa'ulds and whenever I see you are in danger I will be around to help you."  
  
"The same goes for you Thor. If you need some help kicking some replicatorbut, just give us a call."  
  
"I will O'Neill."  
  
At this last comment we were once more transported, this time to end up in the gateroom of the SGC were a smooth bed and a long debriefing on our dangerous mission were ahead of me.  
  
THE END 


End file.
